Invictus
by Neteri Adaar
Summary: By all rights, I shouldn't have ended up in Thedas. I shouldn't have fallen in love with a slave. I should have graduated high school, gone on to college, and lived an average apple pie life. That's the way my life should have been. But that's not the way it turned out.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

I suppose I should bore you with details about my background about now. Isn't that what they do in stories like this? I wouldn't know. I've always had trouble being able to stand reading fantasy stories. They're always the same. Always _so_ predictable.

Anyway, my name is Samantha Hawkins, and this whole misadventure started when I was eighteen years old. Before I continue I should let you know, I do not have a tragic backstory or anything like that. I am not oppressed by those around me. I have a small family that consists of my mother, my dog, and myself. My parents are divorced, but that's not so uncommon in this world. I have friends. Good friends, too. Not a lot, though. That's mostly my fault, I suppose.

But all this stuff is unimportant. The story I am about to recount - my story - is far more important. And it all began with the day I was ran through a crack in a wall. Where does this misadventure start? At my senior prom. What prompted my story to take this turn in the first place? I went to the prom with a douchebag.

* * *

Bouncing up and down and shaking my hips around whilst in heels is not, and has never been, the way dancing should be done. Neither is that lame side-to-side shuffle that couples do during slow songs. Dancing should be graceful and beautiful. So, that is why I refuse to call what I, and the rest of my classmates, were doing "dancing". To be honest, I thought we all looked like monkeys. However, I was slightly drunk from having too much of the punch (I didn't know that it was spiked), and I was having too much fun jumping around like an idiot to care.

It was in this state that my friend Maggie found me. She had been missing from the dance floor for a few minutes to grab a drink. At least, that's what I think she was doing. I never asked.

Maggs was a tiny, freckled blonde girl with big brown eyes. But don't let her cute and innocent appearance fool you. That girl is Scary with a capital S. I've seen her beat up our football team's quarterback with nothing but her elbows and knees. I wish I could tell that story, but I'm afraid that I'd get sidetracked. I get sidetracked easily. Suffice it to say, if you weren't scared crapless of Maggie Carter, you were either new to the school, or a moron, or both. So, when she marched straight across the dance floor (everyone always moved out of her way when she walked) to where I was looking absolutely pissed, I knew something was up.

I stopped jumping around and sent her a questioning frown. The blaring rap music made it impossible to hear anying. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the girls I was with, Katie and Julia, had stopped hopping about and were crowding around me and Maggs.

Maggs scowled up at me and motioned with her hand for me to follow. I did. I didn't have to look back to know that Katie and Julia were following us. They were twins and they both shared an insatiable appetite for gossip. And wherever Maggie went, there was sure to be something interesting happening.

Our heels clicking on the floor of the gymnasium were the only sounds we made that escaped past the overwhelming "music" that was being played. We strode out of the noisy gym and into the school that was adjoined to it. The music was low enough that I could hear myself think again.

"Maggs, what's going on?" I asked, a slight giggle in my voice. (What? I was drunk!)

"Yeah, Maggie. Did you find something?" the twins echoed beside me.

Maggs didn't stop or turn to look at me. But I knew from the way her jaw was clenched that she wasn't happy. "It's your date."

Immediately, I felt the tipsy grin slide off my face and my happy mood dim a little bit as I strode behind my tiny friend. Brian, my date, had been missing from the dance floor for the last half hour. Originally I hadn't given much thought to where he had gone or what he was doing. As far as boyfriends went, Brian was had a reasonable head on his shoulders, and I never felt the need to watch his every move. We went on dates and played video games from time to time. It was a very casual relationship with few expectations.

We continued down the hall for a little while until we reached the girl's bathroom. Maggie's younger sister, Sarah, stumbled out of the bathroom, wincing a little as she made her way over to us on bruised feet. She held her high heeled shoes in her left hand and lifted them to us as evidence as for why she was bare-foot. Maggs and I had warned her that those shoes were too small for her feet, but she had stubbornly stood by them, claiming that they were the only pair that suited her long, black and pink dress. They were the only ones, but that was beside the point.

"I'm just off to change my shoes. These ones are killing me," Sarah announced, glaring at the shoes as if they had offended her.

Physically, Sarah and Maggie were as different as apples and oranges. Where Maggie was short, athletic, and blonde, Sarah was tall, brown-haired, and nowhere near as athletic as her sister. Their personalities, however, were quite similar. Sarah was not as terrifying as Maggie, but people knew not to mess with her either. She has quite the temper.

"You'll want to bring those shoes with you," Maggie said tightly.

Sarah's eyebrows lifted in interest. "Oooooh! Do I get to throw them at someone?"

"That's up to Sam," she responded. At this point, I was getting a little fed up. I don't like mysteries or surprises. They drive me crazy.

In three long strides, I moved up to cut in front of Maggie so that I was facing her. All of us stopped short. "Alright Maggs, spill. What the hell is going on?" My voice was low and annoyed as I spoke.

Maggie's dark eyes flickered over to the twins and back to me. She seemed hesitant to speak. "Brian is in the band room," she hesitated before dropping her voice down to where only I could hear her. "With… with someone else."

The words barely registered in my brain before I took off. I strode down the halls toward the band room as fast as I could move, which is very fast. I am a very tall person and I have been wearing high heels since I was a little girl (my mom said it would improve my posture). Moving quickly in heels has always been easy for me. For the people behind me, not so much.

My mind was blank as I sped down the halls, past the many classrooms that stood between me and the band room. It was a good place to meet someone. It was out of the way of the usual traffic, and the instructor never remembered to lock the door. None of this entered my head until later. All I was thinking was, "I have to see. I _have_ to prove her wrong."

I had never been in love with Brian. We were semi-friends that dated each other. That was the full extent of our relationship. However, that did not stop the feelings of betrayal and sadness that flooded through me when I entered that room. Just as Maggie had told me, Brian was there with another girl, some ninth grader who had somehow managed to get invited to prom. He had her pressed up against the piano with his tongue stuck down her throat. If it had been any other guy with this girl, I would have blushed like mad and have flown out of that room as quickly as possible. I still blushed, but it wasn't out of embarrassment.

They had yet to notice me, as I had just come in. So, feeling angry and betrayed, I squared my shoulders, lifted my chin up high, and cleared my throat as loudly as I could. The pair broke away from each other at the noise. Brian jumped when he saw me and stared wide-eyed at me as I stood there.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." My voice was loud and steady and it rang clearly through the large room. I liked it. It made me feel larger and more powerful than I did a moment before. That feeling made me a little bit bolder.

I stepped forward, an edge to my voice as I continued to speak. "Because I would _hate_ to be rude and inconsiderate."

Just as I finished speaking, all four of my friends burst into the band room. Their reactions to the scene varied greatly. Katie and Julia both looked a varying mixture of scandalized, shocked, and delighted. Sarah's face was red as she shot scathing glares at the couple. Maggie was the only one who seemed completely void of emotion, but I knew that that meant she was seconds away from detonating like an atomic bomb.

Brian's face flushed as he gaped at his new audience, while the ninth grader squeaked like a mouse and disappeared behind his broad shoulders. His fists and jaw clenched angrily. "F**k off, bitch!" he spat at me, his voice slightly slurred from alcohol. "You're just jealous that I didn't feel like waiting for you to get off your high, prudish horse!"

A black, high-heeled shoe flew past my head and hit Brian on the side of his face. He spluttered in surprise as he was knocked temporarily off balance. I whirled around to see where the shoe had come from. Sarah stood behind me, eyes blazing and holding her remaining shoe up in her hand as if prepared to throw it. Despite the situation, I felt a smile tug at the corner of my mouth and a sudden urge to give her a hug.

"Hey man, I think you better cool down." I had neither seen nor heard Michael come in, but I was grateful for his presence. As the quarterback of the football team (yes, the same one Maggie beat up), Michael was a freaking powerhouse of muscle with a bit of a superiority complex. However, deep down, he was a decent human being.

"That's not how you talk to ladies," Michael said coolly, his tone threatening.

Brian was having none of it. He sneered at Michael before snarling, "I talk to my girl however I want, asshole!" He swung at Michael, which in my opinion was a dumb move. In a flash, Michael had Brian's arms trapped behind his back with his own arms. Brian struggled against Michael's hold on him, spewing profanities right and left. I had never seen him like this, and, quite frankly, it scared me a little bit.

"If she has any sense, she won't be your girl for much longer," Michael snapped at him in annoyance as he flailed drunkenly in his grip.

He began to drag Brian backwards out of the band room and into the hallway, but they didn't get far before Brian whacked him in the nose with the back of his head. Taken by surprise, Michael loosened his grip just enough to let Brian slide out of his hold. He turned to punch him while he was disoriented. A golden blur sped past the four of us. It was Maggie. With blinding speed, she attacked.

Even to this day, I couldn't explain how she did it. It was simply too fast to see. One moment she had pounced, and the next, Brian was lying on the floor unconscious while she stood above him in her short, golden dress, cracking her knuckles.

A stunned silence fell upon us while we watched Michael pull out a tissue to clean up the blood from his nose. As he moved to pick up the unconscious Brian, he turned to Maggie and winked flirtatiously.

"You're never going to let me have any fun, are you?" he smirked. Maggie rolled her eyes, but the traces of a smile tugged at her face.

He turned to me and sent me a nod that conveyed a feeling of reassurance. I barely knew Michael. He had his own group of close friends, and I had mine. But I always knew that he was trustworthy if push were to come to shove. I let that nod reassure me a little.

Maggie held the door open for him as he dragged Brian out, and she gave me a look that promised that we'd talk later. Then she disappeared, probably to help Michael with the doors.

A crash from the other side of the band room drew my attention, as well as the attention of the people remaining. It was the ninth grader. I had completely forgotten about her. She had knocked over one of the big drums whilst trying to tiptoe out unnoticed. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, eyes wide in terror.

I didn't blame her. I would be terrified too. While neither Sarah nor I were nearly as terror-inspiring as Maggie, we weren't unintimidating. (I'm not counting Julia and Katie because neither of them had the guts to attack a fly, much less be intimidating.)

"What are you waiting for?" Sarah growled at her before chucking her last shoe at the girl. "Scram!"

And she did. With a yelp, the small teenager dodged the shoe and sped out of the room. I almost scolded Sarah for treating her that way. The girl was practically a child and most likely didn't know what she was doing. But I stopped myself. The girl, whatever her name was, should have known better.

Katie and Julia started whispering excitedly to each other. Then, without so much as a look back, they both left, probably to spread the latest and greatest piece of gossip that the prom night had offered so far. I sighed, wondering for the thousandth time why I was still friends with those two airheads.

"Are you going to be alright, Sam?" I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Sarah looking up at me with dark, concerned eyes. I smiled and nodded, but we both knew that both actions were forced.

Sarah frowned up at me, then sighed and turned away. Muttering to herself in German, she went searching for her shoes.

Suddenly, I felt tired. Not just physically, either. I glanced around the room. For the first time, the walls felt… constricting. I needed air. I needed to get out of there. Just for a little while. So I did.

Without another word, I left the band room and made my way over to my locker. I had stashed my things there before going to dance. Retrieving my purse and a hoodie, I exited the school building. No one ever went to the Horticulture garden, so that's where I went. It was nearby, secluded, and blissfully quiet. Quiet, at the moment, was what I needed most.

The raised beds held a variety of different vegetable plants. No fruit plants, though. The school didn't want any of the students to steal the fruit. I briefly considered sitting on the wooden edge of one of the raised beds, but I decided against it. It had rained recently and the wood was bound to be moist still. So, instead I leaned against the wall of the school and sighed.

I wasn't angry anymore. That had faded quickly. The feeling of betrayal was still there, though not as strong as it had been. Mostly, I was just numb. Numb and tired. I suppose that the whole thing was partly my fault. Like the nameless ninth grader, I should have known better. Vaguely, I considered asking Sarah to throw a shoe at me, as well. Although, if she had seen me out here moping, she wouldn't have needed me to ask.

I took a deep breath, allowing myself one more moment to mope. Then I let it out. The moment was done. Now it was time to get over it and move on. Thousands of people have suffered worse than their high school boyfriend cheating on them. I'd be fine. I had to be fine.

Pushing myself away from the wall, I had every intention of making my way back to the building to change for after-prom. It must have been about midnight, as I could no longer hear the music coming from the gym anymore. After-prom was soon.

A flicker of green light caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head a few inches and stared uncomprehendingly at what was, literally, right in front of my face. It was like a crack had appeared in the air. Out of the crack poured a bright green light. A faint humming seemed to come from _within_ the crack, as crazy as it sounds.

I blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. It did not disappear. If anything, it grew a little bigger every time I blinked. I wanted to step away from the crack. This was feeling too much like a Doctor Who episode for me.

My legs wouldn't move. My arms wouldn't move. Nothing in my body could move. I stood there, staring at the ever-growing crack, and I started to panic. With every ounce of willpower I had, I forced myself to move. Nothing. My fingers didn't even twitch.

Then it grew louder. The humming. Then it grew to a singing. My desire to run melted away completely as I stood transfixed by the eerie song. Without even realizing it, I had started to step forward. My hand involuntarily lifted to touch the crack, and I didn't even think twice about it. The music was calling me. I had no choice. Immediately, the crack spread open until it was the size of a door. I couldn't see the other side. The green light was too bright. Again, without thinking, I stepped forward and into the crack.

The world turned blindingly green. There was a loud snap behind me, and suddenly the light was gone. The music faded until it was a faint humming, and my will returned. And with the return of my will, my panic returned as well.

I was in the middle of a path that twisted and turned out of my sight. Cruel spires and crumbling stone statues dotted the landscape that stretched on forever before me. The whole world around me was green. The air was green. The ground was green, and not with grass. The sky was green, literally. The statues were green. And it wasn't some pretty grass green either. It was a sickly green that one might see on a persona about to throw up.

My hands and knees started to shake as I became more and more afraid. This place wasn't, _couldn't_, be real. I had to be hallucinating. That's right. I was still in the Horticulture garden. I must have fallen asleep and was dreaming. The problem was, I could never tell myself that I was dreaming before when I was actually dreaming. Why was I able to now? Unless I wasn't dreaming.

"Well, well, _well_…" a sultry, smoky voice from behind me drawled. I jumped and spun around to face whoever spoke.

A woman—well she sort of looked like a woman—stood—no—floated in front of me. Her skin was gray, marred with bright purple lines, a set of huge horns grew out of her forehead, and she was almost completely naked, save for some conveniently placed golden dangles. All I could do was gape at the… person? Creature? I was getting a headache.

"Look at what fell in through the crack," she spoke to herself, smiling creepily. "We were told that nothing ever lived on that side." She cocked her head to the side. "We were lied to." _We_? "What's your name, strange little beasty?"

Maybe it was a stupid thing to do. But, honestly, how was I to know that that thing was a demon? All I knew was I had to get out of there and back to the realm of sanity.

"Samantha," I whispered. I didn't trust my voice to go any louder without shaking.

The woman's unnaturally grey eyes widened in delight and a cat-like grin spread across her face. My apprehension grew.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to be polite. Maybe if I was nice to her, she'd help me get out. At the moment, that was my only option, and I knew no better.

She laughed a high, wild laugh. It set my teeth on edge. "Oh, I'm more interested in you, little beasty! Do you live on the other side of that crack?"

"Yes, and if I can, I'd like to get back to that side," I said cautiously. "Is there any way that you can help me? Please? I'm lost."

The gray woman studied me for a few moments before frowning. Somehow the frown seemed out of place on her face, as if that expression almost never came to her.

"What a strange little beasty you are. Wanting to go back to a dead world." Her nose wrinkled. "What is there that you want to go back to so badly? It's dead."

"I have friends and family there. My home is there. I live there!" I had no idea what she meant by my world being "dead". Quite frankly, I didn't want to know. "Please."

A sinister light sparked in the woman's eyes. "There are others? How curious. Show me, little beasty. Take me there!"

At this point, my instincts were screaming at me to say no. This was wrong. She was wrong. Everything about this was simply _wrong_. Taking this… creature to my world could never end well, whatever she was.

I stepped back, away from her. Something in her expression shifted and turned dark.

"No?" she hissed softly. "I don't remember giving you a choice."

She reached out a clawed hand towards me. I didn't stay to watch what she was going to do. I did what any sane person should have done ages ago. I turned and ran like hell. Despite having years of experience in high heels, there was no possible way that I could outrun whatever the hell that woman was in heels and a full-length prom dress. But I tried anyway.

I didn't get more than ten feet before a huge, black shape appeared right in front of me. It towered over me by two feet as it took form before me. To me, tar and smoke had a baby and that thing was it. It had no face except for a bright, white light that shone out from where an eye should have been. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see several others take shape around me in a circle. I was trapped.

"Come, little beasty. We're waiting," the woman eerily sang.

For future reference, I don't respond well in traps. Putting me in a trap is never a good idea. I tend to go… crazy. No rational person would have done what I did. A rational person would have given in or have tried to reason their way out of the situation. Did I do that? No.

I slid my feet out of my heels and stepped onto the cold ground, never losing eye contact with whatever the hell that thing was in front of me. I squared my shoulders and bent my knees a little bit. Then, without warning, I launched my entire body at the thing in front of me. Almost instantly, the thing vanished, and I found myself falling. I managed to execute a sloppy roll when I hit the ground. Having a best friend who has a black belt in mixed martial arts is useful. If Maggie had never taught me how to do that, I might have twisted or broken something.

"Get her!" the woman screeched.

This time, when I ran, I really ran. Nothing else popped up in my way as I sprinted barefoot down the winding path, my skirt pulled up to my waist. I was trying not to be caught or killed by a group of psychotic freaks. Screw modesty. As I ran, my eyes scoured the landscape and the path before me for a way out. There had to be one. I didn't care if I somehow ended up in Kansas. I needed to get out.

There! Not far down the path was another crack. Hope propelled me forward and pushed my legs to move faster. There was no green light pouring out of the crack. No humming or music. This time, I did not think of hesitating. I slapped my hand to the crack, and, just like the last one, the crack flung open like a door. I caught a glimpse of trees and a stream before I leapt through.

My feet hit cool, damp grass as well as a little mud, causing me to slip and fall to my knees. Something snapped behind me, and I turned to see what it was. The crack had vanished and in its place was one of the smoky tar monsters that I had almost outrun.

I sprang to my feet, but my ankle caught on a branch. I fell again, this time on my back. The monster slid closer, making a loud rasping noise that sounded like a laugh to me. I scrambled backwards and was about to get to my feet again when it happened. A lightning bolt rocketed over my head and struck the monster in the chest. It stopped short and screeched in pain. Another one followed, and that one was followed by a ball of fire that engulfed the monster. It gave one last scream before it vanished.

My eyes stared in shock at where the monster had been just moments before. That couldn't have happened. Slowly, I forced myself to take in my surroundings. Blue sky, green grass, brown dirt. All normal. Then it hit me. Sunshine. It had been nighttime at my school.

I rolled onto my knees, ignoring the mud and grass stains that had now permanently ruined my purple dress. Two girls stood several feet away from me. They both started when they saw me, and I started when I saw them.

They were stick thin, but they didn't look unhealthy. But that wasn't what startled me. The largest girl, a redhead, had lightning dancing across her fingers as if she were used to having it there. The other girl, a brunette, had flames flickering about her fingers. My jaw dropped. Both of them were short, thin, with angular eyes and features, and _pointed ears_.

I was definitely not in Kansas.

* * *

**A/N: My first Dragon Age fanfiction! Yay! **

**With Dragon Age Inquisition coming up, I felt like now was a good time to start this story. I hope you guys enjoy this story.**

**If you wonderful readers have any questions, concerns, reviews, criticisms, or praises, or all, please click on the little box down there that says Review. I love reviews. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

No one moved. No one made a sound. The three of us stared at each other, unsure of what to do. They seemed shocked to see me there, while I was even more shocked that I was here. Wherever "here" was.

My eyes flickered back to the girls' hands. There was no way in hell that was real. This had to be a dream. Nothing else made sense. Monsters didn't, couldn't, exist. And tiny people with pointed ears and fire and lightning coming out of their hands couldn't exist either. I was finally losing it. I had to be. This wasn't _real_.

The tallest girl, the redhead, stepped forward slowly. The lightning crackling around her hands doubled in size and intensity as she narrowed her eyes at me. Automatically, I shrunk back away from her, and made to scramble to my, now bruised, feet. This may be some elaborate hallucination or a schizophrenic episode, but there was no way that I was going to let someone, imaginary or not, zap me with lightning. Absolutely not.

The redhead continued to come closer. "Who are you, and what are you doing here, spirit?" The girl's voice was strangely accented as she spoke to me. An accent I had never heard before.

I just gaped at her for several long seconds, my mouth open and closing like a fish. _Spirit_? This was crazy. _I_ was crazy.

Usually I am a much more eloquent person. I don't have a lot of trouble speaking my mind. However, as my mind was conveniently absent, all I could manage was a very confused and disorientated, "Huh?"

"Varania, I don't think she's a spirit. She would have attacked us by now," the dark-haired girl said cautiously. Her voice had the same lilt to it as the redhead.

Varania's lips pursed as she continued to stare at me with narrowed eyes. "Perhaps not. We should bring her to the Master, just in case. She's a trespasser in anyway."

At the word "Master" my eyebrows shot up into my bangs. My wits started to come back as I tried to piece everything together. _Yeah, definitely not in America. _"Whoa, whoa!" I exclaimed, holding up my hands in a halting gesture. "First things first, girls. Would you mind telling me where I am _before_ you try to cart me off to God-knows-where?"

"You are on the outskirts of Magister Azriel Aren's estate. If that is all-" Varania said impatiently.

I rolled my eyes. "Not even remotely. _Where_ is his estate? What country am I in? What city am I near? Specifics would be nice."

The two girls exchanged bewildered looks. It was the nameless dark-haired girl that spoke up this time.

"We are in the Tevinter Imperium. Our master's estate is nearest to Minrathous, the capitol," she spoke slowly and softly, as if she were speaking to a mentally slow child. "How do you not know where you are? Everyone knows Master Azriel."

"I'm just special like that," I quipped, trying to put a lid on the well of panic that was expanding in my gut. I was lost. Whether or not it was just in my head or in real life, I was well and truly lost. My knees suddenly felt weak.

"Now if there's-"

"One last thing. Well, two really," I interrupted again. "What… are you two, if you don't mind my asking? And how are you doing… _that_?" I motioned to the fire and lightning in their hands that had yet to go away.

The girls looked startled at my question. They both sent nervous glances at each other, as if they were unsure of what to do. Varania eyed me cautiously, her wide, vivid green eyes betraying her uncertainty. Her electrified fingers twitched towards me, and I suddenly felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in alarm.

Inhuman monsters you can always count on to try to kill you in predictable ways. Human-like monsters are much less predictable. Humans have the remarkable ability to smile sweetly at you whilst plotting your demise. I was aware of this back then almost as much as I am today. And that is why I was just as afraid of the girl as I had been of those… things.

"We are elven mages. How can you not know that?" Varania demanded.

I'm fairly certain my eyebrows completely disappeared into my bangs at this point. I knew what elves and mages were. While I was not a big reader of fantasy, I've seen the Lord of the Rings movies. I even saw that downright awful movie Eragon in theaters at the request of Sarah. (We both agreed afterwards that it was terrible, fortunately.) However, I had never, for one second, believed that they were actually real.

"Riiiight. Sure you are." I chuckled nervously. Somehow the sound made me feel even more unhinged than I was a moment ago. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Do you have any more questions, human?" said Varania.

The dark-haired elf chose then to speak up. "If you are lost, the Master can help you find your way back home. He is very kind, and he has lots of maps of foreign places."

I nodded, feeling a small measure of hope well up inside me. If this 'Master' was as knowledgeable as the she claimed, maybe he could help. It was worth a try, anyway.

"Well," I announced. "Since I've fallen completely down the rabbit hole, I might as well go the rest of the way. I'll go with you." The two elves seemed confused by my Alice in Wonderland reference, but they didn't stop to ask. They simply gave me odd looks and motioned for me to follow them.

Our walk was silent, except for the sounds of our feet making squelching noises as they made contact with the wet and muddy ground. Vaguely, I noticed that their feet were bare like mine, but I didn't take long to dwell on that. The world around me was much more interesting. Everything around me seemed the same. The trees were normal oak, birch, cherry, and a few other regular trees that I couldn't name immediately. The grass below my feet was normal green grass. The sunshine was still yellow. But it was all different at the same time.

The air was crisper and fresher, the colors brighter and much more vivid. It was like I had stepped into a fantastical painting of a landscape. Everything was the same, but so very different. The atmosphere seemed to crackle with unspent energy that begged to be used. I remember feeling an urge to leap into the air and twirl around in my ruined prom dress. I didn't, but for some reason I wanted to. Doing so would have been too bizarre for my poor brain to understand. Instead, I settled for slapping myself on the face as inconspicuously as possible. I was a crazy person, but I didn't need the elven mages to know that.

The trees grew thicker ahead and the way ahead was blocked by what looked like a hedge. The two elves moves forward and pushed back a section of foliage to reveal a gateway. I followed them through and then stopped abruptly and gasped out loud.

Stretched out before me was an enormous plain that overlooked a massive gorge. A river ran across the land and spilled over the gorge as a waterfall into a lake below. The plain was dotted with magnificent willow trees that swayed mournfully in the slightest breeze. And near the edge of the gorge was an enormous _palace_ built out of white and black marble and decorated with _gold_. Years after this, I would see many beautiful and awe-inspiring sights. But up until this point, nothing I had seen before could compare. To me, it was the most beautiful place in the world.

For a long moment, I couldn't believe my eyes. I blinked a few times, trying to ascertain if I was seeing things or not. But there was no way around it. It had to be real or I had truly lost it. There was no possible way that I could have imagined this place. Although, even if I was stuck inside my own head, it didn't feel so bad anymore.

Varania gently nudged me forward, and I almost fell over because I hadn't been paying attention. We continued onwards toward the beautiful palace that lay ahead. As we moved towards the palace, I became more and more aware of the throbbing pain in my feet. The ground in the forest had been soft and kind to my battered soles. Here the ground wasn't so kind. Every step I took quickly grew more and more painful, and we still had a long way to go before we even reached the palace, if that was where we were headed.

I cleared my throat. "So, your Master, does he live there?" It was a stupid question, but I needed something to take my mind off my feet.

"Yes," was the only response that Varania gave me.

"Does he have a family?" I pressed.

"No." I pursed my lips at the lack of elaboration, feeling my irritation rise a little bit.

"So… he lives here alone?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to keep giving me one-word answers?" I snapped.

"Yes."

"Varania, be nice! It's not her fault she interrupted our task," the dark-haired elf chided gently. She turned to me, smiling kindly. "Please forgive my cousin. She has had a hard week and is very tired."

"I have not! You don't need to make excuses for me, Alina!" Varania snarled. Alina shook her head, sighing, and turned to give me a weary, apologetic smile.

They did look tired, now that Alina had mentioned it. Their clothes were simple, worn tunics of faded brown that hung about their thin frames like sacks. Around their wrists and ankles were, what looked like, brass bangles. I couldn't quite tell if they were a type of jewelry or something else entirely. The bangles did look a bit thick to be jewelry, but I was not a jeweler. What did I know?

The pain in my feet continued to grow as I continued to walk. I started limping a little bit, which caught the attention of the two elves. Varania scowled at my bruised feet as if they were rodents, but she said nothing and kept moving. Alina, on the other hand, gasped when she saw my limp and stopped short.

"Why didn't you say that you were hurt?!" she exclaimed as she bent down to inspect my feet.

I hissed in surprise and pain as she accidentally touched a bruise. "This isn't the first time this has happened," I grimaced.

"You're regularly attacked by shades, are you?" Varania questioned, her arms crossed as she gazed at me in disbelief.

"Of course. It happens every Tuesday," I deadpanned.

As I finished speaking, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my foot. A yelp tore its way out of my mouth, and I barely managed to avoid kicking Alina in the face as I jerked my limb out of her grasp.

"I'm so sorry! Your foot is bleeding and I thought I might heal the cut, if that's alright with you," Alina explained.

"What are you going to heal it with? Magic?" I said sarcastically.

"Yes."

I waited for her to crack a smile to let me know that she was joking, but she didn't. People couldn't really heal with magic, could they? It was impossible. On the other hand, shooting fireballs and lightning bolts from your hands was supposed to be impossible too. Not to mention that elves were supposed to be purely fictional. Nothing seemed to follow the rules anymore.

"Um," I paused, deliberating between letting her 'heal' my foot, and saying no. The idea of having my foot magically healed when it was caked with mud and blood did not sound very appealing. Maybe infections were nonexistent here, but I wasn't taking that risk. "How about I wait until I can clean out the cut?"

Alina pursed her lips in confusion. "Why?"

"So that I don't become infected," I explained. "If any germs are caught inside when I heal, my cut will become infected."

"What are germs?" The question caught me off guard. Everyone should know what germs are. But one look at the elves' medieval clothing told me that they probably didn't. Besides, nothing seemed to follow the rules anymore.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. I wasn't the best person to ask about bacteria and the spread of disease. Like any reasonably educated person, I knew the basics. However, I didn't know enough to defend the topic if they didn't believe me. "Your Master is supposed to be a smart man. He would know more about it than me."

"We can't talk to Master Azriel. Are you insane?!" Varania exclaimed.

"Undoubtedly," I deadpanned again. "Why not? Is he so unapproachable that one of his servants can't ask him a simple question?"

The two elves exchanged looks similar to the ones they had shared earlier. "We're not servants," they both replied at the same time.

I glanced back and forth between the both of them, frowning. I didn't have enough time to ask what they meant before I heard someone call out behind me. I turned to see who it was.

Another elf was sprinting over to meet us, calling out to Varania and Alina. The elf was obviously a 'he'. Even from a distance, I could tell that he was taller than the other two elves at my side. He was dark-skinned, blue-eyed, and he wore a similar tunic and bangles as Varania and Alina. When he came to about 20 feet from us, Varania moved to meet him before he reached us completely.

"The Master has called you two to the library," the elf panted.

"Are we in trouble? What did he say?" Varania asked quickly. By the way she spoke to the other elf, I could tell that she had been caught off guard by this news. I glanced at Alina. She seemed especially surprised at what the other elf said. Obviously this wasn't a regular occurrence.

The male elf shook his head. "I don't know. The Master mentioned something about the two of you finding something. He wanted you and Alina to come to the library." He finally took notice of me and then jumped back in surprised alarm. "Where did she come from?!"

"A crack in the air," I said coolly.

The young elf's eyes took in my muddy and disheveled appearance. He paused for a moment, and, after clearing his throat, he spoke. "Are you here at the invitation of the Master?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I faltered. Was I? Did this 'Master' somehow bring me here? Or was it a big coincidence? "I… I don't know."

"Do you think that she is what Master believes we found, Marcus?" Alina's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke.

Marcus's eyes darted back and forth among us, uncertainty evident on his face. After a pregnant pause, he spoke, "It doesn't matter. Master wants to see you two. I… suppose you ought to bring her as well. Master will decide what to do with her."

And that settled it for the moment. The rest of the walk to the palace was even more unpleasant than it had been before. My feet not only ached, they stung. Each step grew more and more painful as we continued on. I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out, but that didn't stop my face from contorting in ugly ways after each step. Fortunately, the distance was closing quickly, and that meant less walking.

The palace was even more magnificent up close. And far more intimidating. The statues and designs that I did not notice at first were now impossible to miss. The palace seemed to consist of one enormous, rectangular, domed building, with towers at the corners that were impossibly high for a building that looked like it was built several centuries ago. Menacing gargoyles lined the roof, and twisted statues of beasts and creatures that I had never seen before were carved into the black marble walls. An interesting array of long, sharp spikes were arranged all over the dome, the roofs of the towers, and along the walls. It was still beautiful, but it was a dangerous kind of beauty.

We did not enter through the front door, but through the kitchens. We stopped for a moment so that I could wrap my bloody and disgusting feet in a clean kitchen cloth before continuing on. It hurt like a bitch, but it wouldn't have been very polite for me to track blood and mud on the floors. And, at that moment, being polite could make the difference between this 'Master' helping me or not.

It was not a long walk to the library, nor was it very scenic. The hallway that lead from the kitchens to the library was obviously a type of servants' hall. The hallway had a low stone ceiling with walls of the same stone. Along the walls were racks and hooks that hung up aprons and several other variations of the tunics that the not-servant elves were wearing.

We passed a few elves who scurried down the hallway without seeming to take notice of us, except for one. I probably should have been more alert and had paid more attention to him at the time than I did. He wore the same type of tunic and light trousers that Marcus wore, but he looked nothing like Marcus. He strode past us with the grace of a predator. You might think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. When you've been around people like Maggie for long enough, people like her stand out more to you. They walk differently from others. They hold themselves differently. Everything about them is different from the norm.

So, when I saw him for the first time, it was obvious to me that this was someone who knew how to fight, and fight well. Suddenly, the elf's eyes snapped to me, taking in my bedraggled appearance without a change in expression. He met my eyes for that split second when we passed each other in the hall. In that instant, every hair on my body seemed to stand up, as if my instincts were declaring a red alert.

The moment passed as soon as he left my line of sight. My muscles relaxed a little bit, and I let out the breath I didn't know that I had been holding. I glanced around at the three elves that were walking alongside me.

Despite the obvious physical differences, they seemed as normal, like the several hundred people at my high school. Perhaps they were a little tense, but they were normal. A stark contrast to the elf we had just passed.

Varania opened the door ahead and stepped aside for the Alina and me to step inside. Marcus did not follow. He simply nodded to us and disappeared back into the passage. I turned away from the door and gasped.

I've always loved books. If I wasn't either practicing martial arts with Maggie or watching TV, I was reading a book. So, when I say that the room I stood in was the grandest library of books that I had ever seen, it should be fairly clear that I am not some illiterate monkey that has never seen a public library before. I've been to some really nice libraries. But this one took the cake. It was just like the library in Beauty and the Beast, except it was darker. Much darker. Dark enough that I could just barely make out the edges of the room.

My eyes were drawn to a small desk in the center of the library that was almost covered with stacks of thick, leather-bound tomes. A man sat at the desk, his face illuminated by an oil lamp. He was an older man with shoulder-length, salt and pepper hair that was pulled back with a half ponytail, pale blue eyes, and a stern, clean-shaven face. He looked up from a particularly thick tome when we entered. He didn't seem to even notice Alina and Varania, as his eyes had snapped immediately to me. Quite frankly, I found the attention to be somewhat creepy.

The man, whom I assumed was Magister Azriel Aren, waved his hand in a dismissive fashion, and both Varania and Alina turned and left the way they came without another word or glance. I watched them go with wide, somewhat alarmed eyes. Despite the fact that I was a little scared of the two of them, I was even more scared to be without them in this stranger's presence. Completely irrational, I know. But there it is.

"Sit, my dear," the man ordered calmly from his desk. There was something about his voice that made it obvious that he wouldn't respond too kindly if I didn't comply. So I complied and took the chair opposite him.

His eyes roved over me, taking in every facet of my appearance. Neither of us spoke while he continued to coolly examine me from across the desk. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't seem to get my voice to cooperate with me. His gaze settled last on my face, and then he suddenly smiled, as if something he had seen satisfied him. I would be lying if I said that it didn't creep me out even more. Remember, people have the unique ability to smile sweetly at you whilst plotting your demise.

Finally, I managed to force my voice back into submission. "Are you Magister Azriel Aren?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I am," he said, eying me with thinly veiled interest. "You are familiar with my name, but I do not possess the same luxury. Might I inquire after your own?"

I swallowed and cleared my throat, trying to dislodge the frog that had taken up residence in my throat. "Samantha Hawkins, sir."

As I said my first name, a spark lit in his eyes, and he slowly rose to his feet. If I had been in doubt that he was human before, I wasn't now. Coupled with rounded ears and a good six feet of height, he looked as human as humanly possible.

He leaned over the desk and stared me straight in the eye. I stared back, squaring my jaw with false bravado. "Of course you are," the Magister whispered in what seemed like awe. "Of course you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"It means that I, like the gods of old, do not play with dice," he replied. "Nor do I believe in coincidences."

"And what 'coincidence' would that be?" My interest was piqued. He knew something, something important.

He smiled at me again. "You."

"Umm… what?"

Magister Azriel Aren chuckled and stopped looming over the desk. On its own, it was not a very intimidating sound. However, in that moment, it was far from unintimidating.

"Tell me, Samantha, where is it you are from?" he questioned, stressing each syllable of my name as if he was not used to pronouncing it.

I briefly considered lying, just to see how he would react, but that would not have ended well. "Fairfax, Virginia."

"I take it that this 'Fairfax, Virginia' is far away?" the Magister asked, not at all fazed by the mention of names that were probably strange to him. "Perhaps it requires a special kind of path to travel there?"

My mouth fell open, and I gaped openly at him. "How did you-?" I halted, a new thought coming to mind. "Did you bring me here somehow?!"

The Magister smirked at me in amusement. "If I were that powerful, you would not have ended up in the forest. No. I did nothing, except believe."

At this point, my head was beginning to spin, I was tired, I was in pain, and I was getting really fed up the cryptic answers the Magister was giving me. I was fairly certain that it was around two or three in the morning back home. If Magister Azriel Aren could help me, he would have to do it before I ran out of time and was missed by my mom.

"Look, I don't really care how I got here. Can you send me back?" I sighed, cutting straight to the chase.

"No."

"No?! What do you mean? There has to be something in all these books that could send me home!" I exclaimed.

The Magister's expression did not change, except to raise a fine, black eyebrow at me. "There might be something here that will help you return to your home," he conceded slowly. "However, I have no cause to help you. There are only two kinds of people who even think to do anything for free. Priests and fools, and I am neither.

"Before you ask, no, I am not demanding money, nor do I demand sex as payment. I require a service which I believe only you can perform. As the research required for this task is lengthy, it may be many months before I will be able to help you. As for you, months is the perfect amount of time for you to accomplish your task."

"Months?! Task?!" I exploded, barely believing what the man was telling me. I shot out of my chair, ignoring the sting in my feet from the action. "I can't wait that long! I have to get home tonight! My mother will have a heart attack if she finds out I'm missing! The woman can barely function without me for a day, let alone several months! You don't understand-"

"Oh I understand, my dear," Magister Azriel Aren's calm, yet firm voice cut through my hysterics. "Family is the most important thing in this world. No one knows this more than I, child. However, that does not change the fact that it _cannot_ be done. Yet."

Somewhere in this speech, all my outrage and indignation leaked out of me, leaving me feeling tired again. I collapsed back into the cushioned, velvet chair and buried my face in my hands. This couldn't be happening.

Vaguely, I remember smelling the traces of acetone that was coming from my nail polish. My mother had applied it for me a few hours before prom. She had a steadier hand than me, and she always knew how to make my manicure look professional. The smell only served as a cruel reminder that it could be a long time before I had a chance of seeing her again.

Several moments passed before I was ready to speak again. "What is my task?" I whispered. If I had spoken louder, my voice would have quivered.

Magister Azriel Aren shook his head gently. "You need not worry about that yet, dear Samantha. You have been through quite an ordeal. You need your rest. I will call for your tomorrow when you are better prepared to hear what I have to ask of you." He reached towards a small carving on the desk and twisted it around. A part of me wanted to cry at the word 'tomorrow'. I had to get home. I had to. "Selena will show you to your rooms. If you have a need for anything, she will assist you."

The servant's door behind me opened to reveal a dark-haired elf even smaller than Varania and Alina. She kept her head bowed and eyes to the ground while she guided me away from the library and out into another hallway. I did not pay attention the architecture and design of the room this time. I was too far lost in my own gloom and fatigue to pay attention to much of anything. Selena offered to let me lean on her when she saw me limp. I took the offer, but I still made sure not to crush her. She was far too small to support my weight.

It was not long before we reached a pair of ebony doors that opened to reveal a richly decorated bedroom. I sat on a type of couch at the foot of the bed while Selena flitted in and out of the room, gathering hot water, soap, clean towels, and bandages for my feet. Selena had asked if I wanted a bath, and I had said no. I was too tired and numb to consider taking one. All I wanted was to go to sleep.

After Selena had cleaned and bandaged my feet and had given me a clean nightgown to wear, she closed the thick, dark curtains and then left me to my own devices. I climbed into the tall, soft bed that Magister Azriel Aren had let me use for the night. I buried myself in the soft, feather pillows and silky sheets and curled my body into a fetal position.

My feet ached a little bit, but it was nothing compared to ache that had settled in my chest. A few tears leaked out of my eyes and onto the pillow under my head. I didn't cry. I was too numb to cry.

As I slowly drifted off to sleep in that giant bed, in that enormous palace, in that insane world, I couldn't help but hope that maybe all of this was just a dream and that I'd wake up back home again. Although, deep inside, I knew that it wouldn't happen.

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**A/N: A special thanks to writingNOOB, Yngvildr the Voracious, Kokonoa, and lilc12354! I really appreciated your reviews! It was more than I expected to receive, so thank you!**

**Here's the next chapter. If anyone has any questions, criticisms, or reviews, please be sure to click that little review button down there. See you guys soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, yeah. I don't own Dragon Age.**

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**C****hapter 3**

I knew before I even opened my eyes that yesterday had not been a dream. The smells, the sounds, even the humidity felt wrong. Back home, waking up to the sounds of loud swearing and burnt breakfast was all too common. In fact, if those sounds and smells weren't there in the morning, I would immediately know that something was wrong.

As it was, there were no scents of burnt eggs and toast, no sound, except for the calls of a few birds, and very little humidity. Instead, the air carried the aromas of spices and perfumes, the likes of which I had never smelt. The bird chirps were shrill and altogether foreign. It was all wrong.

With a sinking heart, I slowly opened my eyes. The room was dark, as the thick curtains on the window had been closed, but I could still see. The bed I was in was soft and squishy. Too soft. It was like lying on a cloud, and, for someone who had never slept on anything but firm mattresses, it was not a pleasant feeling.

Slowly, I sat up, taking in my surroundings as I did so. Everything was beautifully decorated in rich purples, silvers, and black. A tapestry depicting a massive, black dragon hung on the mall over the largest vanity I had ever seen. The vanity table was made from a wood of dark red, its legs intricately carved with strange, black symbols and characters. Even the fancy hotels that I had been to for band trips in middle school weren't this extravagant.

I just sat in the overly soft, oversized bed for several minutes, letting the gravity of my situation sink in. I was trapped in a medieval land of elves and magic, and there was a fair chance I would never return home. For the first time, it became painfully obvious that I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating. This was real. At least, it felt real.

Sighing, I pulled myself from the silken sheets and stepped onto the cool, black stone tiles. The long nightgown I was wearing fell down to my calves. I had a suspicion that the nightgown was meant for someone much shorter and fatter than I was, if the short length and broad width of the sleeves were any clue. Or maybe it was just fashionable. Either way, it was a bit uncomfortable.

Something outside gave a very loud screech, causing me to jump. I rushed over to the ceiling-high windows and pulled back the curtains to see what it was. I blinked, surprised at how dark it was outside. It must have been early morning, at least. A few lanterns were posted near the window, and right by the panes was a crow. I sighed in relief and knocked on the glass to scare it away. It didn't budge. Shrugging, I left the window and padded over to the vanity.

I plopped down on the chair in front of it and scowled at the reflection looking back at me.

My black hair might as well have been a birds' nest, that's how tangled and messy it was. Long bangs that were too short to be tucked behind my ears hung limply around my face. A few light scrapes covered my dotted my hands and arms. All in all, I didn't look so hot.

The scrapes were shallow and would most likely be gone in a few days. The hair… I searched the vanity. There was a hairbrush in one of the drawers. Sighing in relief, I started working on the tangles in my hair. It took several minutes for me to tame my hair enough so that it looked vaguely decent. My hair was way too thick to ever be smooth without lots of hair products and blow-drying. Neither of which I had, so I had to make do.

Once I was done, I set the hairbrush down and pulled myself to my bandaged feet. A light robe hung on a hook on the door. I reached up and brought the robe down. Donning the robe (at least, I thought it was a robe), I took a deep breath and cracked the door open. The hall outside was dark and unsurprisingly empty.

I chewed on my lip, thinking over my options. I could stay in my room and try to go back to sleep. I could wander the halls and become hopelessly lost. Or I could go to the library and start my search for how to get back home. As I was interested in neither sleep nor getting lost, only one option appealed to me at the time.

Quietly, I slipped out of the room and began to pad down the dark hall to where I sort of knew the library was. A few tapestries and paintings hung on the walls, but it was too dark for me to make out any real details. Fortunately, it wasn't dark enough for me to lose my bearings entirely. I remembered where the library was, and, within minutes, I had reached the entrance.

The doors swung open when I pushed, and I took a moment to marvel again at the immense size of the room. It was still too dark to make out the full extent of the room. Suddenly, I wished I had some kind of lamp or candle available.

I shuffled over to the Magister's desk, searching for the oil lamp that had been there. It wasn't.

"Looking for this?" a voice from behind me spoke.

My entire body spun around, upsetting some of the papers on the desk. In the doorway stood Magister Azriel in a blue and gold robe, holding the oil lamp I had been searching for. I gulped, staring nervously at the tall, intimidating man before me. I had not intended to be caught sneaking around, and it seemed unlikely to me that this man would be understanding as to why I was up and about.

"Yes," I replied when I had found my voice. "I wanted to look start my search now, if that's alright with you."

The Magister did not say anything as he pinned me with a searching glare. I began to wonder if it had been a good idea to let him know what I was doing. It was too late to change it now, however.

"Asti a vala femundis," Magister Azriel uttered suddenly, still staring at me.

"I'm sorry, what?" I sputtered, confused.

"What do those words mean to you?" he replied patiently.

I shrugged. He might as well have been speaking Greek.

"It means, 'to the stars with difficulty'." He paused, a frown fluttered across his face before disappearing. "All of my books, save for a handful, are written in Tevene, my language. How will you read that which you do not understand?"

"I.." I had not thought of that. I had simply assumed that the books were written in English. The thought of having to learn a completely new language just to read the books was unnerving but still doable. I was no stranger to foreign languages. My mother was Italian and made sure that I was fairly fluent in the language from a young age, and my friends, Sarah and Maggie, were from Germany. They both had a tendency to start talking in German without realizing that they were speaking the wrong language. Eventually, I picked up a fair amount of German from them. And let's not mention the Latin classes I took in high school.

"I'll learn," I managed after a moments deliberation.

An amused twinkle lit up Magister Azriel's pale blue eyes. He chuckled, displaying a set of slightly crooked, but still white, teeth. I crossed my arms and glared at him for laughing at me, for it was obvious that he was laughing at me.

"Is that going to be a problem?" I questioned coldly.

Azriel shook his head. "Not at all," he replied coolly. "I had rather hoped that you would wish to learn the language anyway. However, you will not be learning them tonight. There are still a few more hours before sunrise, and I wish to have the library to myself on nights like these. Go back to bed, child. There will be plenty for you to learn when the sun rises."

I hesitated, torn between doing as he ordered and staying to ask questions. Magister Azriel noticed my hesitation.

"Go to your room. If you need something, pull the cord by the door and one of the slaves will be with you shortly," he commanded, moving to the desk with the lamp in hand.

My heart stopped and the room seemed to grow frigid. I could hardly believe my ears. I opened and shut my mouth, too stunned to speak for several moments. When Magister Azriel realized that I had not moved, he snapped his gaze to me and glared.

"Is there something unclear about my words, child?" His voice was calm, but I could hear the quiet threat that lurked underneath the surface.

I sputtered before finding my voice. "Slaves?! Those elves are slaves?!"

Magister Azriel raised his thin eyebrows at me as he seated himself in the chair at his desk. He flicked his hand lightly and a few lamps on the walls light up with blue fire. I blinked several times, not used to the sudden light.

"Of course," he replied without remorse. "This is Tevinter, dear girl. What did you think they were, if not slaves?"

"I don't know! Servants, perhaps!" I exploded. "Anything except freaking _slaves_!"

He cocked his head to the side and stared at me curiously. "I do not understand how the word 'freaking' has anything to do with slaves. However, it is of no import at the moment. They are slaves, and that will not change." His gaze turned flinty. "And I suggest you return to your room. There is much to be done when the sun rises."

I, however, was far from finished. This new revelation about the elves I had viewed as people had made me angry, and I was in no mood play games with a slave owner.

"What are you talking about? What is 'to be done'? You said that you need my help, but you haven't told me anything! What are you keeping from me?!" I demanded, my voice growing steadily louder. Magister Azriel's eyes shifted slightly from me to something directly behind me. He sighed.

"Be a good one and return the lady to her quarters. She is not herself without proper sleep," he said smoothly to someone hidden in the shadows. Immediately, I felt a pair of strong, long-fingered hands grasp my arms at the elbows. I kicked out at whoever had grabbed me, but they were met with nothing but air.

"Let go of me!" I screamed as I was being dragged away to the door.

"If she puts up too much of a fight, you have my permission to knock her out," Magister Azriel said dismissively, not even looking up from the papers on his desk as he spoke.

That was the last straw. I hate being manhandled with a passion. I despise being ignored when I speak. And I detest being talked about as if I'm not there. One of those things is enough to make me lose my temper. All three of those things at one is more than enough for me to go absolutely insane.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Screaming at the top of my lungs, I lashed out at my unseen restrainer, but he just continued to pull me backwards as if I wasn't hitting him, which I was. Hard.

I was still struggling by the time we reached the hall. As the library door began to close, I swore I saw the corner of Magister Azriel's mouth curl up in amusement as he was looking down at the papers on the desk. The door swung shut, and the man or elf was still pulling me by force. I stopped struggling momentarily, walked backwards into the chest of the person, and snapped my head backwards. I felt a small smirk of satisfaction appear on my face when the back of my head met with the assailant's face.

I heard a snarl from behind me, and I was suddenly flung to the side. How I managed to remain on my feet during that, I'm not entirely sure. Something cold and hard was pressed to my gut. I didn't have to look to know that it was a sword, but I still did anyway.

The sword was enormous, but that wasn't what made me stay perfectly still. It was his eyes. I knew those eyes. I had seen them yesterday on my way into the mansion. The predator's eyes. In the low light, they seemed even more dangerous than before.

I didn't remember the elf''s face, and neither could I see it, as it was covered by a full black mask. All I remembered were the eyes. Those terrible, vibrant green eyes that stared at me without remorse or sympathy. Like last time, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end, and, like last time, I was afraid.

"Move." It was not a request, and, at the moment, I did not have the courage to treat it like one. Clenching my jaw, I slowly began to walk down the hallway, sword still pressed to my middle.

"Are you one of his slaves too?" I snapped at him after a moment, finding my tongue.

"Quiet." His voice was deeper than I had been expecting. The elves I had seen and heard the day before had light, airy voices. This was like the growl of a panther, rather than the soft, airy tones I had heard from the other elves.

I snorted slightly. "A bit commanding for a slave, aren't you? You are a slave, right?"

Poking at a live predator is never a good idea. But, as I had said before, I am insane, and I never pay attention to normal logic. Besides, I was still angry.

"Yes." I waited for an elaboration, as most people are prone to provide, but none came. The green-eyed elf remained absolutely silent as we moved down the hall to 'my room'.

"Do you have a name, then?" I pressed, wanting to put a name to the elf with the predator eyes.

"Oh look, we're here," he said flatly. I almost smiled at his tone, despite myself. It was obvious he didn't like me, and that amused me greatly for some reason.

He opened the door for me, not removing the sword for a moment as he did so. The sword tip dug slightly into my back, pushing me forward into the room. As soon as I stepped inside, the sword retreated and the door slammed shut behind me.

Alone once again in the too-large bedroom, I found myself feeling frustrated. With myself and everything else. I huffed and plopped down onto the too-soft bed, throwing my arms out to steady myself as I sunk further into the mattress than I had intended. With a growl, I pushed myself up and sat on the bed, thinking hard.

I was no longer in my world, that much was clear. Elves and magic and spirits existed, along with slaves. I shuddered slightly at the thought. Swords were back in use, if my encounter with wolf-eyes was any indication. So that must have meant that things were leaning more towards the medieval. If that was the case, then I was at a slight advantage. Unless the people here had technology and knowledge that I was unaware of. I would have to be able to read the native language of this country before I could determine that for myself.

I laid back down on the too-soft mattress, rubbing my face in annoyance. As Magister Azriel had said, it would be a few hours before anyone else was up and about. Still angry about the incident from a few moments ago, I forced my eyes shut and tried to calm myself in order to go back to sleep. It didn't work so well.

Hours seemed to go by as I tossed and turned in the bed, trying to find the most comfortable spot on the bed. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to my room opened.

I shot up in the bed just in time to see the elven girl from yesterday enter. I fumbled for a name. Selena, that was it. Her name was Selena. And she was a slave.

Selena paused by the door, surprised to see me awake. Immediately, her gaze dropped to the floor, and she curtsied slightly before entering the room and moving to the fireplace. I watched her as she began to light a fire, unsure of what to say to her. Once she had finished, Selena stood up and turned to the curtains. She pushed them open, revealing the soft beginning light of dawn.

She moved to the dresser by the bed and opened one of the drawers, taking out a long black dress. I stared at the dress as she laid it on the bed. Obviously I was supposed to wear it, otherwise it wouldn't be out. That didn't mean I wanted to wear it.

The dress itself wasn't ugly or anything. Actually, it was quite lovely, but that wasn't what I had against it. Even without putting it on, I could tell that it was an intimidating dress, more likely to be worn by an evil vampire than a person.

I stared at Selena questioningly. "Did Magister Azriel want me to wear this?"

"The Master wishes you to be dressed like the ladies of Minrathous," she replied nervously, eyes still to the ground. "He told me that you would not know how they dressed and would need assistance."

"Is there nothing else, other than black?" I questioned, not quite daring enough to ask if I could wear pants and a shirt. I didn't want to upset the girl more than was necessary, as she looked worried enough.

She nodded, moving back to the drawer. I got up and followed her. The dresses inside were all gorgeous and seemed to be fairly close to my size, which was suspicious. Finally, after a few minutes, I decided on a dark amber dress with black lace accents. It was the least extravagant and intimidating dress I could find, and Selena seemed to approve somewhat.

Before getting dressed, I was led over to the vanity. I protested a little, but I gave in after a look of terror crossed Selena's face at the thought of not obeying her Master's orders to the letter. I didn't want to get the poor girl in trouble.

So, I willingly allowed her to brush my hair. Just to clarify, my hair is not easy to brush or deal with in any way. My hair is curly and wild on good days, and the epitome of what would happen if one were struck by lightning. Fortunately for both of us, my hair was not feeling particularly rebellious this morning, so Selena was able to brush out the tangles without me biting back profanities the entire time.

She was surprisingly gentle as she brushed and braided the black mass that is my hair. My mother was the only other person, besides myself, who ever even tried to tackle my hair, and she was never very patient when it came to brushing.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of the brush on my scalp. Time seemed to disappear as I sat there. The brush and hands vanished and my eyes snapped open. I stared in surprise at my reflection in the mirror, turning from side to side to fully view the braided bun that had taken form at the base of my head.

"Mistress," she called softly from behind me, catching my attention. "The Master wishes you to come down for breakfast in the next quarter of an hour. We must hurry or the Master will be displeased."

"That's supposed to be a bad thing, I take it?" I probably shouldn't have said anything, if Selena's look of fear was any indication. Biting back a huff, I turned to the dress that lay on the bed.

It was one of those long, figure-hugging types of dresses that I usually avoided. Not because I'm self-conscious or anything like that, but because they're impossible to move in. Still, it was likely a better choice than the dresses that I had seen inside the dresser. Of all the ones in the dresser, this one had looked the least heavy and constricting dress.

At my request, Selena turned around as I stripped of the nightgown. I set about trying to figure out how to put on the undergarments. The shift and underpants were simple enough, but when it came for the corset, I asked Selena to come back and help me.

I had been expecting the corset to be worn under the dress, but that apparently wasn't the style. Selena helped me into the dress first. Then, she put the corset on me. She cinched it up and stepped back to retrieve a pair of leather sandals from the dresser.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror in surprise. The skirt of the dress was long and flowy. It was designed in such a way that if I didn't know that it was a dress, I would have thought that it was a type of sari that had been wrapped around my body. The black leather corset added to that illusion.

As soon as I put on the sandals, which took some time as I was still wearing bandages, Selena hurried me out of the room, down the hall, down a magnificent stairway, down a few more halls, and finally into what looked like a small dining room. Immediately, my mouth curled in distaste, and I was tempted to march myself back out.

It wasn't that the room was ugly or anything. Far from it. Like all the rooms in the palace, it was gorgeous. It was because Magister Azriel was there, along with Wolf-Eyes from last night. Azriel sat at the far end of a long, mahogany table, sipping on a type of porridge. He didn't look up when I entered.

"You may go, Selena," he said gently, eyes still on his porridge. The shuffling behind me let me know that she had obeyed him.

A tense silence filled the room. Azriel simply sat there eating his breakfast. Wolf-Eyes stood in the shadows behind Azriel. I could tell by the way bright green orbs were trained on me, that he thought I was a threat of some kind. Considering how I acted last night, that shouldn't have been a surprise.

Finally, Magister Azriel spoke. "You have a fire inside you, Samantha. But you must master it before it scorches those around you." He looked up at her. "As well as yourself."

I frowned and crossed my arms. I cocked an eyebrow, barely suppressing a glare.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I all but snarled. I knew exactly what he was talking about, but to agree meant to submit. And I wasn't about to submit to a slave owner who had just disrespected me a few hours ago.

That was probably the wrong thing to say. Azriel's eyes glinted dangerously at me. I half expected him to stick Wolf-Eyes on me.

"I believe you wish to know why I've let you stay here." He didn't wait for me to respond. "I shall tell you now. I expected you to arrive."

I blinked in surprise. "How?"

"How is not important. People like you arrive in Thedas from time to time. And sometimes, they return." There was something oddly serpentine about the way he watched me while he spoke.

I couldn't stop the excitement from spreading throughout my body, and I didn't want to either. "You know how to send me home?"

"No, but it can be done," he replied.

My mind raced, trying to figure out if I could trust his word or not. "You said there was a price."

"So I did." The glint was back in his eyes. "Sit down, child. You won't want to be standing for this."

For once, I obeyed him without resistance. I knew from experience that when someone tells you to sit down while they deliver news, it's not good.

* * *

**A/N: School's started! Yay for senior year! Woo... Okay, I lied. I'm not that excited. Oh well.**

**Anyways! Please review and tell me what you think!**


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